Kosovo's Prime Minister Hashim Thaci has begun searching for coalition partners after his Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) won the most votes in June 8 parliamentary elections.

The election commission said that with most ballots counted, the PDK had 31 percent of the vote. The main opposition party, the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), had 26 percent.

Thaci, the former leader of the Kosovo Liberation Army, is bidding for a third term as prime minister.

Despite its lead in the election, the PDK will not have enough deputies in the 120-seat parliament to rule alone.

The EU, in a statement on June 9, said the elections are "a step forward in consolidation of Kosovo's democracy."

The EU said it is "looking forward to an early formation of the government" that will carry out economic reforms, improve the rule of law and continue with the implementation of the 2013 agreement on the normalization of ties with Serbia.